LEARNING HOW TO USE CITATIONS FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFORMATION - NONNATIVE DOCTORAL STUDENTS DISSERTATION WRITING IN SCIENCE

This article reports on how three English-speaking advisors and their non-native English-speaking doctoral students used citations and relat ed writing techniques to make new knowledge claims in science disserta tion writing. The study focuses on the introductory chapter of the dis sertations. The research data consist of drafts of the students' disse rtations, analysis of the draft texts, observations during writing con ferences and lab meetings, background interviews, and in-progress inte rviews. The study investigated: 1) the selection of cited works; 2) ho w the students and their advisors contextualized their research and ma de claims to novelty; 3) how the advisors inducted their students into the disciplinary culture and its citation practices; and 4) the influ ence of language and cultural differences on the students and their ad visors. The findings revealed that the academic advisors played an imp ortant role in helping their three graduate students learn how to cons truct new knowledge claims. The study also found no negative influence from the students' native language and culture on their acquisition o f academic language and conventions.